Calling all small businesses, have you heard of Pokémon GO?

If you haven’t, no offence but where are you hiding! This mobile game has seem to take the country by storm!

If you’re a small business owner and haven’t kept up with the recent buzz surrounding Pokémon GO, I have a great reason for you to tune in and have a read. I myself am not a player, but I can defiantly see the benefits it can be for a business!

This augmented reality game has taken over the digital world. It quickly became one of the most used mobile apps shortly after release, and was downloaded by more than 75 million people worldwide. It’s installed on more devices than LinkedIn, and people are spending more time per day playing the game than using Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter or Instagram. Now thats saying something.

Why does this matter for your local business?

This mobile-app is unique, WHY? It is geographically-based, sending users to real world locations in order to capture the Pokémon creatures.

And that “real world location” may be your brick-and-mortar store, leading to an increase in foot traffic.

Here are a few helpful ways to take advantage of this crazy phenomenon using social media, and attract a wave of gaming customers to your business location:

Purchase a Lure

If your business happens to be a “Pokéstop” or is located near one (download the app to check), you can purchase something called a lure. A lure attracts more Pokémon, and therefore more gamers, to your location for a span of 30 minutes. And it only costs $1.49.

Buy multiple lures to make the effect last for a few hours, then promote your “lure” on social media.

You can make this event even more attractive for local players by posting about specials or promotions you’ll be offering during the time your lures are active.

To purchase a lure, tap the red Pokéball inside the Pokemon GO app, press “Shop” and then tap the purple Lure icon. After paying, tap the red Pokéball again, press “Items” and tap the purple lure to activate.

Use Hashtags
Post content related to the game and use hashtags #pokemongo and #pokemon, along with location-based hashtags for your area.

This will enable nearby players to easily find you on social media, and let them know that they should come scout out your location.

Special Gamer Discounts
Provide a discount to players who post screenshots of the Pokémon they capture in your store and tag you on social media. This spreads the word to their followers (who are most likely also in your area) that your store is a good place to catch Pokémon.

To drive even more gamers to your location, make sure you’re constantly promoting this discount on your social pages.

Even if the world of Pokémon is not your cuppa tea, you can easily maximise this fad as a local marketing opportunity. Get the players in your community through your door, and start converting them into paying customers.